Aurora Institute Releases New Case Study on ExcEL Leadership Academy Micro-credential Pathway Adoption in Rhode Island

ARLINGTON, VA – (March 7, 2024): Today, the Aurora Institute, a national nonprofit organization focused on education innovation, released a new case study examining a micro-credential program developed by UCLA’s ExcEL Leadership Academy, which has been approved for ESOL teacher certification in Rhode Island. The program offers a progression of twelve micro-credentials focused on the skills and competencies educators need to serve multilingual learners (MLLs) effectively. Additionally, the case study offers recommendations for other states that hope to offer their educators high-quality competency-based pathways to certification and/or professional growth.

Despite calls to modernize education preparation, the way we train, support, and grow educators has remained largely unchanged for decades. But some educator training and professional development organizations are taking a different approach by offering educators flexible and job-embedded learning opportunities that recognize and validate learning through demonstrations of competence.

In 2023, Rhode Island designated a full set of twelve micro-credentials as an approved program for the state’s English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) certification, allowing educators who have earned it to teach in an ESOL classroom. Aurora’s case study examines this alternative professional learning program and provides recommendations for other states that hope to offer their educators high-quality competency-based pathways to certification and/or professional growth.

You can download the publication here. Policy makers and educators at all levels are encouraged to contact Aurora for more information or assistance.